Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-06-01
,..Anreles wastage.

Los Angeles Wnstage.
A well-considered article upon Los
Angeles sewerage, from the pen Oh
General J. Nj. Baldwin, appears else
where in this issue of the HERALD.
The General is entirely competent py
his knowledge and experience to treat
this question from a scientlhc ana
practical standpoint. 1t will be seen
that he takes the same view as to the
disposition Of the sewage that the
HERALD has always advocated.
Thousands OF acres OF land below
this city can be brought into the
highest state Of cultivation II enriched
bv the wastage carried through our
savers. Those lands need this sew
age in order to give them value, and
it would be simply preposterous to
construct any system of sewers that
did not take the fertilizing properties
of the wastage of the city into ac-
count. 1t may be that whoever ac-
cepts the sewage at the mouth OF the
system may find it necessary to have
means OF conveying the winter sur
plus to the ocean; but that is con-
alteration that need not cause any
concern to our city now. There is
already company which now re-
calves the small amount OF wastage
discharged at the mouth OF the main
sewer. But with the elaboration OF
our sewer system to the dimensions
of the present and future needs OF our
city, the sewage will become mat
ter of very considerable moment--so
important, indeed, that we have no
doubt some OF our enterprising capi-
talists will see in it the means OF
great and profitable investment. The
lands to be fertilized must belong to
the men or company that are willing
to enter into a contract with the city
to take and dispose of It's sewage.
Given, the ownership OF the lands to
be benefited in a company taking
the wastage, and that company could
afford to give the city very hand
some compensation for the sewage.
We do not mean mere bagatelle, but
a sum that would cut quite figure in
the regular revenues of the city. 1t
may be said that we cannot be GER
tain that our sewage will be taken
and paid for by any company owning
extensive tracts of lands below the
CITY and therefore we ought to plan
our system irrespective of any
such contingency. This would be
good reasoning if the lands needing
our sewage did not exist. But they
do exist, as we all know. Engineer
jackson has told us thatthere are over
one hundred thousand acres between
this city and the ocean that are now
almost valueless for cultivation, but
that could be made as valuable as
our very best lands by the fertilizing
wastage OF this city. Therefore we
take no risk in saying that the city
will find no trouble on the score OF
disposing Of its sewage. The lands
need it, they are OF little value with
out it, and will be OF great value with
it. Hence it is not possible that these
two factors, each Of which is the COM
plement to the other, and both to-
gether operating to create one OF the
most profitable investments in the
country, can exist in a community
like this without being brought to a
practical solution. We may, there
fore, in considering this sewer ques-
tion, confine it to a plan that viii
merely subserve the purpose OF
carving off the wastage from
the city, and delivering it to
the adjacent lands requiring it,
and whose owners will be glad to pay
a good round price for it. This does
away with all the talk about building
a large sewer OF solid masonry clear
to the ocean-a work that would cost
millions of dollars, and which, i'm
stead Of being beneficial improve
ment, would be a monument to the
ignorance, stupidity and criminal
waste Of our people. With the ques.
tion narrowed down to this limit, we
are in position to handle it intelli-
gently. A deep main sewer along
Alameda street, extending from that
already built, will cure all the evils
now complained OF on the lower bench |
of the city. With that and the sewer
now running through Main street, all |
the city on the west side of the river
TO Figueroa street, could be thor
oughly drained. West of Figueroa
street would perhaps be required, as
Genera. Baldwin says, another main
sewer running towards the Ballona.
As it is now, there are populated por-
tions Of the city without sewerage.
The wastage il let run Wherever II
fit -. - - II 49, ~. = - = = 2